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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: capital · stand · patient · swing · stick · field · bark · racket

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. field — farmland
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bark — to shout
  8. stand — to bear
  9. field — a subject
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. capital — a city
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — to play on
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. swing — music
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. field — for sport
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. capital — money
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. stand — on your feet

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com